1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an accessory designed for use by painters in association with a reusable paint bucket.
2. Description of the Prior Art
At present professional painters who paint interior and exterior building surfaces typically pour paint from containers in which the paint is sold into reusable two gallon or five gallon paint buckets of standardized configuration. The mouths of the standard size reusable paint buckets which are commercially available are large enough so that a paint roller can be dipped into paint in the bucket and used to spread the paint. This avoids the inconvenience of repeatedly having to pour paint from a bucket into a paint tray in order to roll paint onto a surface.
At present, professional painters spend considerable time cleaning up their reusable paint buckets for reuse following completion of work at the end of the day. Since paint is likely to have caked and at least partially dried on the walls of the bucket, particulary the upper regions of the walls, considerable time is expended in cleaning the buckets. This cleaning time adds to the inconvenience and cost of completing a painting project.
A further problem which is encountered in painting with a roller from reusable buckets is that excess paint tends to accumulate on the roller when the roller is dipped into the open bucket. The presence of excess paint on the roller increases the time required to paint a surface of a given area since paint must be spread from one area of the surface to another to prevent paint from being applied in an unduly thick coat. If paint is not spread sufficiently it will form droplets and rivulets which detract from the aesthetic appearance of the painted surface. Also, an undue accumulation of paint on the roller results in excessive dripping of paint in the work area. This leads to an unnecessarily large consumption of paint and also increases the time required for cleanup.